The Toronto Maple Leafs want to keep Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi in town. The renowned insider adds a conversation has already taken place between Domi’s agent and the Maple Leafs while Bertuzzi’s agent told Lebrun that “It’s still early, but it’s out there that the Leafs want to re-sign him” (from ‘Rumblings on Guentzel, Kane, Stamkos, Lindholm, Bertuzzi and more as NHL free-agent market heats up’, The Athletic, May 24, 2024). While the team may want to bring them back, the money will have to work for it to be feasible. If both players’ asking price is too high, who should they prioritize?

How Domi and Bertuzzi Fared Last Season

Both players were wearing the Maple Leaf for the first time last season and were signed in the hope of adding some talented grit to the team. The start of Domi’s tenure in Toronto fell short of expectations, but he eventually hit his stride to end the season with 47 points in 80 games, a plus-10 rating, and 118 penalty minutes. The Toronto native went from an average of 12:56 of average time on ice in the first quarter of the season to 15:29 in the fourth quarter. The same increase was present on the power play with 1:07 early in the season versus 1:58 in the fourth quarter. In the two last quarters, Domi put 39 shots on goal, and he was finally put on a line with Auston Matthews and Bertuzzi in the fourth quarter and his productivity went up immediately. If he was given the same ice time and linemates from the start of the season, there’s no reason to believe his offensive input wouldn’t be higher. He was also an important contributor in the playoffs for the Maple Leafs.

Meanwhile, Bertuzzi also played 80 games and finished the season with 43 points with a plus-2 rating and 53 penalty minutes. Time on ice-wise, his usage didn’t vary much throughout the year, there was a 33-second increase, but on the power play, he went from 1:13 in the first quarter to 2:06 in the last. He spent most of the season playing with Core Four players, but his production was a lot better in the last quarter when he lined up with Matthews and Domi. Bertuzzi also blocked 50 shots and landed 97 hits compared to Domi’s 23 blocked shots and 56 hits.

Who’s Likely to Cost Less?

Domi, a second-generation Maple Leaf, clearly enjoys playing for his hometown team, but he’s 29, and this might be his last chance to break the bank. Once a player is over 30, it’s harder to get both term and high-value contracts.

Bertuzzi is in the exact same position as he’s also 29 years old. Last season, he had a $5.5 million cap hit while Domi settled for $3 million, the same as his previous contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. The one he had signed before, in Columbus, had a $5.3 million cap hit. Domi will certainly be looking for an increase, just like Bertuzzi, considering both ended the season on the team’s first line. Domi’s $3 million is not exactly top-six salary…

Maple Leafs fans are hopeful both players will be willing to give Toronto a “hometown discount” but hockey is a business first and foremost. Considering both players won’t be in the prime of their careers anymore the next time they hit the free agent market, if they manage to get a contract with the kind of terms they’ll be looking for, it’s hard to see them give much of a discount.

Looking at the big picture, statistics-wise, Bertuzzi seems to bring a more complete game. His production is pretty much the same as Domi’s but he brings more hits and blocked shots to the table, two elements which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Furthermore, he also has fewer penalty minutes, which is always a good thing. Bringing physicality without being sanctioned for it is an art, an art Bertuzzi seems to have mastered. Should the Maple Leafs fail to reach an understanding with him, the Boston Bruins will apparently be ready to pounce on him in free agency.

Logically, I believe that Bertuzzi will be more expensive than Domi but ultimately, if there is a choice to be made, I think Bertuzzi should be the one picked. In an ideal world, however, there would be enough money to sign them both. Losing one could be damaging; Maple Leafs management is well aware that along with Matthews, the trio is a wonderful weapon to have. Signing only one of them would leave a gap in the top-six which would in turn bring another conundrum…

The key to signing the duo is to manage to trade a member of the Core Four sooner rather than later. It seems there is a consensus on Mitch Marner being the odd man out. The goal should be to trade him at the Draft (June 28 and 29) at the latest, which should hopefully open some cap room for Brad Treliving to work with. The Maple Leafs’ GM would then have a bit of time to work with before free agency opens on July 1. Whatever happens though, this summer will be particularly hot in Toronto as there will be a lot of off-ice action.